Round Trip
by NintendoGal55
Summary: Based off of "Double Header". Stimpy awakes from a terrifying nightmare about Ren sending him away. It takes some reassurance, but he doesn't have to worry about such a thing.
**I do have to admit, the "Double Header" episode made me quite sad. I mean, the beginning plays out like they're breaking up! D: I just wanted to hug Stimpy so much. And as it progressed, my heart was just breaking. I mean, I know it's not technically canon, but still. XP It made me sad.**

 **Now yes, I do know that the whole "It was all a dream" trope is a cop-out, but I thought it would make an interesting idea. Especially considering how it ends! I know this is very short, but I couldn't tangibly squeeze it into anything else. Besides, it should be its own thing, you know?**

 **Enjoy it. X3**

* * *

"No no no no! NO! Don't send me away! Please! I love you! Take me back! Take me-"

"STEEMPY!"

At the loud shout, Stimpy's eyes shot open as he woke up. Standing over him was Ren, looking at him with a mixture of annoyance and concern. Wait, he was standing over him? Stimpy shot up in bed, looking all around himself, then felt his backside, and then grabbed hold of Ren. He had to check, he had to make sure!

"S-Steempy!" Ren squirmed, pulling away from him, "What ees eet weeth you, man?! You've been screaming and crying een your sleep!"

Stimpy blinked, looking Ren over once again, and sighing with relief. Ren was a few inches from him, wearing his usual nightclothes and a stocking cap on his head. He had his arms and legs, and wasn't attached to his side. They weren't part of a traveling freakshow, they weren't fused together, and Ren's head wasn't attached to his back.

"R-Ren... I..." Stimpy took a few breaths to calm himself, but it was too much. The memories of his now-realized nightmare were coming back. Especially the earlier half of it. He sniffed and clung to Ren tightly, "Oh please, Ren! Don't send me to Ursa Minor! I don't want to go! I'm sorry I annoy you so much, I swear I don't mean to! Just please, please don't send me away! I'm sorry! I just-"

"Steempy! Get ahold of yourself, man!" Ren said, giving him a slap across the face.

A little stunned from the force, Stimpy blinked and leaned back a little as the pain subsided. "Oh... Okay, I'm okay, Ren... I'm sorry."

"What are you blathering about, anyway?" Ren wanted to know, crossing his arms, "Eet's not like you to get dees hysterical from nightmares."

"I... I had a dream that you... you just didn't like me. You hated me so much, you were trying to send me away to Ursa Minor!" Stimpy sniffled, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"What?" Ren looked at him weirdly, "Steempy... dat's ridiculous. Ursa Minor ees a star constellation! You can't pheesically go dere!"

"Really?" Stimpy murmured, feeling less tense.

Ren nodded, patting him on the shoulder, "Just relax, okay? You had a bad dream, no beeg deal."

"So... you still like me?" Stimpy managed to ask.

Giving a sigh, Ren rolled his eyes and nodded, "Of course I steell like you. You drive me crazy, you're an eediot, and you put me through way too much trouble! Sometimes I wonder why I bother, but..." He sighed again, "But eet doesn't mean I don't like you."

Stimpy sighed with relief and smiled now, "That's all I needed to hear, Ren. Thanks, buddy!"

"Sure," Ren waved it off, then got off the bed, "Now let's go make some breakfast. I'm starveeng."

"Sure thing!" Stimpy giggled, getting off the bed. "Hey, I also dreamed that we were stuck together!"

Ren snorted, rolling his eyes and heading out of the room, "You have an overractive imagination, Steempy."

"I know, but it's true! You were on my right side, we had to share arms and legs, and you worked in a nuclear factory!" Stimpy exclaimed, flailing his arms. "Then we got into a traveling freak show! The Siamese weirdos or something! And you were so miserable and wanted to get away from me forever!"

Looking at him again, Ren sighed and shook his head. He stopped near the stairs, turning to face him completely, "Steempy, calm down already. Eef I really needed to get away from you, I'd just go out of town for a few days. I'm not going anywhere! I'm still here. See?" He took Stimpy's hand and squeezed it.

Stimpy looked down at his hand, then squeezed back, and let go, "I'm sorry, Ren. It just felt so real."

"Dat happens weeth dreams sometimes, Steempy. You theenk I haven't had dreams where I thought I was falleeng off a cleeff or leeving in a high-rise penthouse?" Ren snorted, placing his hands on his hips. "Eet happens. Now get over eet. I'm hungry, let's eat."

"Okay!" Stimpy said with a smile, going down the stairs.

* * *

A few days went by, to which Stimpy forgot all about his crazy nightmare. Things were back to normal, or at least as normal as can be. But when he came home one day from a walk Ren had sent him on, there was an unexpected surprise waiting.

Stimpy stared with absolute horror at the sight. A travel bus ticket was sitting on the table, while a couple of suitcases sat on the floor next to it. There was no mistaking what this was about. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. All feeling in his body disappeared and his heart fell to his feet.

Shaking a bit, Stimpy sniffled and reached for the ticket, "How can this be? My nightmare is coming true! Ren really is sending me away! Oh no, it must've been when I ate the last piece of cake! He was so upset when I did that! Oh, I'm so sorry Ren! Please forgive me! I'll buy you another cake! Two of them! And I won't have any! Not even a lick of the icing! Just don't send me away!"

Collapsing to his knees, Stimpy began to cry brokenheartedly. The nightmare hadn't just been a nightmare. It was a sign. A warning.

"I can't believe I didn't listen to it... Now I'm doomed! Doomed!" Stimpy wailed, beginning to cry and sob harder, "Dreams are prophecies! I'm already too late! Nooooooooooooo!"

Something fell onto his nose, which surprised him a little. Stimpy stared at the object, cross-eyed. He then took it off his nose, finding that it was a note addressed to him. Upon recognizing Ren's handwriting, Stimpy's eyes went wide as he scanned the note.

 _ **Eef you're done crying, let me explain!**_

 _ **Eet's a bus ticket to Cornville een Iowa. There's a music festeeval going on and dat Steenky Wizzleteats man ees going to be there too. I feegured you would want to go, so I got you a teecket and packed your bags for you. The bus leaves tomorrow at eeleven in de morneeng, so don't be late!**_

 _ **Have fun, eediot.**_

 _ **Ren**_

Blinking a few times, Stimpy looked over the note once or twice more, his hands clutching it tightly. Now his mind was reeling with fear and confusion. It was for a music festival? That made sense, but Ren was still sending him away! And to a place where he'd be happy to soften the blow!

"Why, Ren... Why are you doing this?" Stimpy whimpered, sniffling loudly. He hung his head low, his shoulders trembling, "What did I do wrong...?"

As he brought the note back up, something caught his eye. The bottom of the paper had a small portion he didn't read. How had he missed it?

 _ **P.S. Stop crying already and look closer at de teecket!**_

"Wha?" Stimpy blinked. He brought the ticket up to his face, looking at it closely. He wasn't even sure what to look for. This wasn't making any sense. It was a bus ticket, wasn't it? So what was he supposed to find?

After a few moments, he spotted it. A huge, relieved smile overcame his face as his heart soared once again.

It was a _round trip_ ticket.


End file.
